Field of the Invention
This invention relates to magnetically coupled wheels (sometimes referred to as magnetic gears) and rotating objects, and in particular to a magnetically driven set of wheels or rotating objects or magnetic gears which are not to be physically engaged by the respective driving wheels or driving objects or magnetic gears and can operate at a spaced distance from the respective driving wheels or driving objects or magnetic gears, as well as operating other components operated by the driven wheels or driven rotating objects or magnetic gears, and to magnetic gearboxes.
Description of the Prior Art
Many devices function by having at least one rotating member for engagement with another member. The problem with such physical contact is that there is often the problem of jamming of the parts, the problem of deleterious particles and matter getting between the parts, loss of lubrication and the wearing down by friction. These known devices include geared transmissions and gearboxes containing gears. Propulsion systems are well known for extending through a hull or other wall, which require complex and expensive seals and stuffing boxes. Such systems sometimes utilize noxious fluids including lubricants and gases. Other such systems are not useable in dusty and gritty environments where the atmosphere contains deleterious components. There are also situations where angles of rotation of a pair of shafts with respect to each other must change during rotation of the shafts, where a relatively simple arrangement without a complex gearing structure would be most advantageous.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2011/0266902 A1 with common inventorship as the present application discloses a driving rotational object having magnet supporting surfaces with a series of adjacent magnets of opposite polarity, and a driven rotational object has a magnet supporting edge with adjacent magnets of opposite polarities. The driving rotational object passes its magnets through a first location and the driven rotational object passes its magnets through a second location spaced from the first location but where there is magnetic linkage within the region wherein the latter two magnets are located. The magnets of one polarity of the driving rotational object attract magnets of the opposite polarity of the driven rotational object to effect rotation of the driven rotational object. Disclosed as well are a pair of magnetic gears with peripherally located gears of alternating polarity where the rotational axes of the gears are not parallel. A gearbox is described for moving the relative axes of rotation of the respective gears to a desired angle, and for being a reducing gearbox if the driving magnetic gear is layer from the driven magnetic gear. A gear train is further disclosed having an outer hollow cylindrical gear and an internal cylindrical gear, each having peripheral magnets of alternating polarity. The outer and internal magnetic gears are spaced from each other by a small space, and either gear can be the driving magnetic gear and the other the driven magnetic gear. The driven magnetic gear rotates in response to the rotation of the driving magnetic gear as a result of the sequential magnetic attraction of the oppositely poled magnets. Further disclosed is a gearbox in the form of a ball joint assembly having a pair of magnetic gears having magnetically interacting magnets proximate each other which can be tilted relative to each other, but they cannot perpendicular to each other since rotation would not then be possible. A gearbox is also disclosed having a magnetic gear with an annular cylindrical configuration and another annular gear which is a toroidal ring with an annular depression, each magnetic gear having magnets of alternating polarities. The annular cylindrical gear is located in the annular depression, but the magnets of the respective magnetic gears are spaced from each other at their location of closest proximity. The latter magnetic gears are magnetically linked at their locations of closest proximity, with one of the magnetic gears being the driving gear and the other the driven gear.
The prior art does not include a teaching of magnetic gear transmission mechanisms or gearboxes or similar magnetic systems for changing and reversing the direction of rotation of a driven magnetic gear in a magnetic gear train.